Saturday, October 29, 2011

I woke up this morning having a “Laurel Canyon” moment. For those of you who don’t know what that means, I’ll explain. Laurel Canyon is a canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles that became famous (and infamous) in the sixties for being a nexus of counterculture activities and attitudes.

I didn’t live in California in the sixties, but I knew all about Laurel Canyon. It was a eucalyptus-scented, mystical, magical, almost mythological geographical spot in the history of pop music. And it was home to many of L.A.’s folk and rock musicians, like Frank Zappa, Jim Morrison, Carol King, members of The Byrds and Buffalo Springfield, Glenn Frey and Don Henley of The Eagles, Cass Elliot of The Mama’s and the Papa’s, British blues legend John Mayall, and many more. Back in the day, I saw them all.

Joni Mitchell lived in the Canyon then, in a home that was immortalized in the song “Our House,” written by her then-lover Graham Nash, of Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Laurel Canyon was the inspiration for Joni’s third album, “Ladies of the Canyon,” released in 1970.

In 1970, I had just graduated from high school and moved into my first apartment. It was decorated in the bohemian free spirit-meets yard sale-meets college freshman style, which is to say, a mattress on the floor draped with an exotic, batik bedspread, beaded curtains, and a gigantic poster of Jimi Hendrix burning his guitar, mixed with a herculon, early American sofa, an avocado green leatherette chair, and a cheap, fiber-board bookshelf that held a set of Encyclopedias. Patchouli candles burned everywhere.

I’d wake up on Saturday mornings, drink Chamomile tea, eat homemade granola, and turn on Joni Mitchell’s “Ladies of the Canyon.” I’d gaze out the kitchen window and daydream of California…the bohemian lifestyle, the perfect weather, the ocean, and the music. Then I would dress in a flowing skirt and clunky Earth Shoes, put on lots of colorful beads and a big straw hat, and meet friends at the Babylon Café for a vegetarian meal of lentil and sweet potato stew, sautéed kale, and couscous. After lunch, we’d walk to Overton Park, sit around on Indian blankets, discuss art, literature, politics, social issues, and of course, music. Someone always had a guitar, bongos, and a tambourine. We may have been in Memphis, TN, but the moment was so Laurel Canyon.

A few years ago, while visiting L.A., I drove down the precipitous hills and serpentine roads into Laurel Canyon. My mind drifted back to a time when rock legends were struggling musicians jamming on the steps of crumbling canyon bungalows instead of instantly famous but quickly forgotten American Idols. The Canyon was as mystical and magical as I expected it would be. It seemed so familiar, almost as if I’d been there before. And I had been, if only in spirit…

This morning the sun was bright and the air refreshing. I threw open the windows, lit a white peach and patchouli candle, practiced yoga for thirty minutes, and sipped a cup of Chamomile tea while listening to “Ladies of the Canyon.” Instead of the usual black top and pants, I put on a colorful sarong, an armful of silver bangles, and dangly turquoise earrings. Then I went to the farmer’s market and bought fresh vegetables for dinner, and a big bunch of daisies.

Now it’s late afternoon. The sun is melting into the horizon like a glob of golden butter and I’m relaxing in my backyard in Dallas TX. But when I close my eyes, I see the winding road dappled with sunlight through the trees, feel the breeze, smell the eucalyptus, and hear the echoes of music’s past drifting through the Canyon. The sensation is familiar and mystical and magical, almost like I’m there. And I am, if only in spirit….

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

This is a reprint of an interview from the HUFF/POST 50 ~ The Internet Newspaper: News Blogs Video Community ~ posted today, October 25, 2011

CINDY JOSEPH: 60-YEAR-OLD SUPERMODEL, ON DEFYING AGE BARRIERS

With laugh lines and a full head of long silver hair, Cindy Joseph is defying all age barriers. She started modeling at the age of 49 when a casting agent "discovered" her on a New York City street and asked her to model for a Dolce and Gabbana ad. That ignited her modeling career with the prestigious Ford Models, and she was soon gracing the covers and pages of O, The Oprah Magazine, More, Glamour, Mademoiselle, and Real Simple, to name a few. She's modeled for fashion clients such as Anthropologie, Banana Republic, and J. Crew, and has been the face of Garnier, Olay, Aveda and Nivea beauty campaigns.

Joseph was a makeup artist for 25 years before she started her second act as a supermodel. The mother of two is now promoting ageless, natural beauty with her own cosmetics brand, BOOM! By Cindy Joseph, and is about to launch a new addition to her line of skin and makeup products, called BOOMSILK.

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On Huff/Post50, we talk a lot about how you can reinvent yourself at midlife. Did you have any major "ah-ha!" moments that caused you to start your second act?

The way I look at it is that for as long as we've been alive, boomers have reinvented every decade we've lived through. What we're doing is unprecedented, and it has been at every decade. We have never followed the status quo, and now we're in our 50s and 60s and continuing to reinvent our lives.

So many men and women struggle with whether they want to go gray. How/when/why did you decide to go gray?

I started getting silver hairs very distinctively in my early 30s, and by my mid-30s I had a white stripe in my bangs. I was still young enough that it didn't occur to me that this change could be related to age. I thought it made me look cool and unique. But as it started creeping in around the sides, I'd look in the mirror and think, 'Oh my God!' I thought it made me look unhealthy and washed out, so I started dyeing my hair. And at first I would only dye the sides, keeping the streak in my bangs, which had become kind of a trademark.

After six years of this, I overheard myself in a conversation about age and beauty telling someone about how life, for me, was getting better and better. I was talking about how I was waiting for something bad to happen, because age gets such a bad rap in our society and I thought, 'where does that notion come from?' I realized then that age is so wrapped up in our concept of health. And a lot of people start losing their health as they age, not necessarily because they're old but because they didn't treat themselves well in the years preceding old age until it finally caught up with them. To change society's stereotypes about age we first have to change our personal definition and prejudice against age. Change the mind and you can change society.

How do you define beauty?

This is going to sound so repetitive and so old and so unsurprising. Life has proven to me what I heard before and didn't understand, and that is, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Absolutely, entirely, and 100 percent.

Tell me about your new beauty product line, and why you created it.

Well, first the inspiration came from a question from a friend, who said: "Why don't you combine your past career as a makeup artist with your current career as a model?" My first thought at the time was, the last thing we need is another tube of lipstick on this planet. But then I realized that a cosmetic company, a clothing line - any branding - is sort of like the name of a club. And people decide what club they want to belong to. And all the cosmetic clubs that have existed since the beginning of time have been 'anti-aging' clubs. So I decided to start a cosmetic line that was 'pro-aging,' that would say, 'you are the right age...no matter what age that may be.' This is pro-women, pro-beauty, pro-life. Whatever age you are, celebrate it!

What advice would you give to someone who was aspiring to be a model and yet was past the "sell-by" date?

Be your own judge, and don't take what the world believes personally. The modeling, fashion and beauty industries have opened up tremendously or I would never be modeling. And it still has a way to go. When all body types and demographics are represented in the fashion industry then we'll know things have truly changed. So give it a go, follow your dream and if the doors close don't take it personally. Society is slow moving - it takes time.

What's the one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you were growing up?

That I'm a pleasure-oriented creature, and if I honor that, which is innate to women, I would have saved myself a lot of trouble instead of trying to be success-oriented and goal-oriented in more male-oriented ways.

What are some of the biggest makeup mistakes you see on older women?

When they wear their makeup the same way they wore it in their 20s or 30s. When they're clearly using make up to try and look younger, they make themselves look older. Wear less. Keep moisturizing. Allow the character in your face to be your beauty. Adding texture to texture just makes more texture. So if you want to get rid of wrinkles, putting make up on them is just going to make them more so. A young face is more like a blank canvas so you can paint, you can paint colors and textures and all that stuff. But when you get older and you have character and wrinkles and age spots and all that stuff going on, just let it be there. You know, you're not going to trick anybody. You're not going to fool anybody!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

I’m a people-watcher. I like to find a table in the corner or a bench tucked away, order a cappuccino, and just savor life happening. It’s fascinating to watch people in their element. I love trying to figure out from their style, demeanor, and body language what’s going on inside their heads.

Yesterday, I was enjoying my lunch at an outdoor café in downtown Dallas. It was a glorious, sunny day and the place was packed. There were the usual groups of business-men-and-women, wearing conservative suits and work attire. There were the ladies who lunch ~ fashionably dressed socialites who air-kiss each other when they meet, and chatter non-stop for hours about whatever it is they talk about. And then, there were the stylish young professionals, furiously texting their friends while they waited impatiently for their food.

I noticed an attractive lady sitting at a table near the sidewalk. She was probably in her early sixties ~ slim, fit, and well dressed in a non-ostentatious way. She was wearing a pair of gray capri pants and a silvery gray tunic top, flat sandals, and an interesting silver and crystal pendant. Her hairstyle was short, spiky, and the same silvery gray color as her tunic. Her makeup was minimal. She sat confidently and comfortably alone, pale blue tinted glasses perched on her nose, thumbing through a magazine while dining on a salad, and sipping occasionally from a bottle of sparkling Pellegrino water.

On a bench just a few feet away, another lady sat waiting for the bus, also probably in her early sixties. Her hair was gray as well, but dirty and unkempt. She was quite overweight, and appeared to be very tired and not particularly healthy. Her clothing was a hodge-podge mixture of nothing in particular, and she was slumped over a large bag that she held in her lap. She was smoking a cigarette and, between periodic coughing fits, eating a candy bar.

As I contrasted the two ladies, all I could think of was, how does this happen? What circumstances transported these two women to such different stations in life? Of course, I have no way of knowing what was going on in their lives or their heads, and it’s really none of my business. It’s not up to me to pass judgment on either of them. But I couldn’t help but be curious.

As an avid observer of the world around me, I’m constantly drawn into the human condition. I see people everyday who attract and inspire me, and others who break my heart. I see people who live with passion and purpose, and others who stumble tentatively through life but never really seem to live. And I see people who treat those around them with compassion, while others trample anyone who gets in their way.

One day, after seeing a man publicly berate and humiliate a homeless person, I asked a friend ~ "Why are people so cruel? Everyone thinks humans are so much more evolved than other animals, but I never see animals act so inhumanely." "Don’t you watch Animal Planet?" he replied. "Have you ever seen a lion go after a gazelle? There’s nothing humane about it. It’s brutal. It’s survival of the fittest."

Is that the answer, then? Are we really just slightly more civilized beasts? Do we achieve only as much in life as we’re willing to fight for? Do other factors figure into the equation? Like a stable childhood? A network of loving and supportive family and friends? Social connections? Education? Good physical, mental and emotional health? Karma? Kismet? Can we thrive without these things if we want to bad enough, or flounder, even if we’re blessed with them?

We all have hopes, dreams, ambitions, and visions for the future. Some are attainable, and others remain nebulous and out of reach. Some people rise to the top regardless of the odds, and others fall through the cracks. Some live with style and elan, while others simply exist. Our abilities to think and reason define us as human. Our capabilities for compassion and love make us humane. WHAT we do with what we have, or don’t have, is what makes us unique, complex individuals. But WHY we do what we do is a mystery. And THAT'S why we’re so fascinating!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The Complete Kitchen Garden is the definitive garden design and cookbook. Based on the seasonal cycles of the garden, each chapter offers an original themed garden design such as "The Salad Lover's Garden," "The Heirloom Maze Garden," and "The Children's Garden," with recipes to match and step-by-step instructions for growing the ultimate kitchen garden. Recipes play an integral role and encompass a full range of soups, salads, main-course savory dishes, and desserts, as well as condiments and garnish to dress up the plate. With a wide-ranging collection of fourteen garden designs and more than one hundred recipes, this book is sure to delight both novice and experienced gardeners.

Combine all ingredients in a Mason jar with a lid. Shake to blend until emulsified. Set aside until the salad is prepared. Makes 1/2 cup.

Ellen Ecker Ogden is the co-founder of The Cook's Garden seed catalog. America's premier source for seeds and plants (now owned by W.A. Burpee Co.). She is the author of From The Cook's Garden and The Vermont Cheese Book. Her kitchen garden has been featured in national magazines including Martha Stewart's Living, Country Gardens, Organic Gardening, Horticulture, the Boston Globe and the New York Times, and she has been a guest on PBS's Victory Garden and on HGTV. She lives in Vermont.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Technology today is amazing. But it’s a double-edged sword. I’m referring specifically to communications and information technology. C&I technology has made it easier and more convenient than ever to communicate in a far-reaching sense, but it’s my fear that it is destroying the art of conversation, and overwhelming us with more information than we can possibly process in a lifetime.

My love/hate relationship with technology began one day in the early 90’s. My boyfriend at the time was blathering on about the internet. The internet? I had no idea what he was talking about but somehow I knew he (an engineer and former math teacher) was going to tell me. “It’s a way of retrieving information,” he said, knowing that anything more in-depth would cause me to glaze over. “Why can’t I just go to the library?” I replied. End of conversation.

But eventually I got a computer, and with all the skill of a Neanderthal learning to make a weapon out of the jaw-bone of a woolly mammoth, I began to use the internet. At first I traveled the information highway only as a last resort, but then libraries computerized their records and I was forced to sputter into the 21st Century.

The internet makes it so easy to find the answers to burning questions, which is a good thing. However, the instant gratification makes it impossible for me to retain the answers longer than a nano-second. Back in the day, when I had to search through books, files, and piles of research for something, I remembered it forever. Yes I know, I can just look it up again, but I worry about the “what you don’t use you lose” theory. I want to rely on my brain to retain information, not my computer.

And then, there’s the cell phone, BlackBerry, iPhone, etc. Frankly, I used to object to talking on the phone instead of actual face-time. But nowadays, I rarely talk at all. I text. I refused to text for years, until I realized that everyone I knew screened their phone calls and the only way I could get a response was to send a text message.

I see people everyday walking around like zombies, texting, never acknowledging any human being they come in contact with. They drive mindlessly, changing lanes and running people off the road without ever realizing what they’ve done because they’re so engrossed in their BlackBerry. The other day, I watched a group of girls having lunch. They weren’t talking to each other. They were sitting silently at their table text messaging people who weren’t there. And last week, my daughter and I text’d each other until our messages became so long and convoluted that she finally broke down and called me. WTF?

The techno-trend is growing rapidly. When Apple launched the newest version of their iPhone, the line of eager customers wrapped around the block. The Apple folks were serving coffee and bottled water from a rolling cart to people who’d been waiting outside the store for two days! And they were all standing in line texting…

Facebook is a phenomenon that’s opening up a whole new world of communication, but it’s twisting our social lives in the process, especially the technology driven, younger generation. Watch this Toyota commercial. It’s funny, kind of sad, and illustrates my point.

I’ll admit, I do enjoy Facebook. I moved to Dallas last year, and FB allows me to keep up with friends and loved ones back home, as well as lots of really cool friends from all over the world, many of whom I would never have met without FB. We exchange information about our comings and goings, read each other’s comments, quotes, and funny anecdotes, share thoughts and ideas, and view recent (and occasionally, ancient) photos of each other.

But last night, while chatting online, it occurred to me that, except for my daughter, my sister, and a couple of close friends, I haven’t spoken to most of these people in months. Some for years. And a few I’ve never even met!

It’s getting to the point where we are constantly communicating, but we’re not SAYING anything. We aren’t seeing facial expressions. We aren’t privy to nuances like tone of voice, a smile, or body language. We shop online, get information online, and read online. Most customer service numbers are automated…we almost never talk to a real person. We’re living virtual lives, staring at a screen, typing on a keyboard, or manipulating a digital device. I find that problematic, and more than a little distressing.

So I’ve vowed to make an effort to use technology to enhance, rather than rule my life. How? Talk in-person whenever possible. Talk on the phone if in-person is impossible. And for God’s sake, when I’m eating lunch with someone, turn off my phone and talk to them! Text only when necessary. Don’t text when I drive…no text message is worth driving into a wall for.

Limit my time on Facebook, and don’t post every little thought that pops into my head. If I do post something, at least try to make it interesting and/or significant. And just for kicks, go to the library occasionally and research something instead of Googling.

A final note. Even though I‘m lamenting the demise of the art of conversation, there will always be a place in my heart for the written word. I love to read. And blogging online provides me the opportunity to reflect on, articulate and share my thoughts in a (hopefully) positive way with more people than I could ever reach otherwise.

Technology can be used for good or evil. It can encourage widespread communication, keep us connected to friends and family, introduce us to new friends, and provide worlds of information with the touch of a finger. Or, it could be the downfall of civilization. We get to decide.:)

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

I’m sure there are entire blogs dedicated to everything cheese. However, I’m concentrating here on soft, white cheeses. Creamy or crumbly, simple or complex, mild or tart, sweet or savory…soft white cheeses are a joy to behold and to consume. These are some of my favorites~

Brie

Brie is the best known French cheese and has the nickname "The Queen of Cheeses". Several hundred years ago, Brie was one of the tributes which had to be paid to the French kings. In France, Brie is very different from the cheese exported to the United States. "Real" French Brie is unstabilized and the flavor is complex when the surface turns slightly brown. When it is still pure-white, it’s not matured. If it’s cut before the maturing process is finished, it will never develop properly. Exported Brie, however, is stabilized and never matures. Stabilized Brie has a much longer shelf life and is not susceptible to bacteriological infections.

Classic Brie is made in a wide, flat round wheel with a center that softens to almost a runny, custard-like consistency when very ripe. It has an aroma reminiscent of fresh mushrooms, a rich buttery body and intense, savory taste. In order to enjoy the taste fully, Brie must be served at room temperature.

Camembert

Camembert was traditionally made in a small round, and because of this, matures differently than Brie. Made from pasteurized cow's milk. At the beginning of its ripening, Camembert is crumbly and soft and gets creamier over time. The centre remains a little firmer, bulging when very ripe, and the flavor is sweeter with nutty characteristics.

Camembert is one of the most famous cheeses in France, although it dates back only to the 18th century. It’s named after a Norman village where there is a statue of its creator (Marie Harel). In 1855 the cheese was presented to Napoleon, introduced as from the village of Camembert. He enjoyed it very much and from that moment Camembert became known everywhere by this name.

Feta

Feta is a classic and famous Greek curd cheese whose tradition dates back thousands of years and is still made by shepherds in the Greek mountains with unpasteurized milk. Feta is a soft, wet cheese with a rough surface and a bright white color. It is often stored in brine, contributing to its moistness and imparting a salty flavor to the cheese. Feta is made by curdling milk by adding either rennet or microbial rennet, and allowing the mixture to separate and drain. The curds are then cut, salted and pressed and the larger mass is placed in a brine solution to cure.

Feta is used as a table cheese, as well as in salads (e.g. the Greek salad), pastries and in baking, notably in the popular phyllo-based dishes spanakopita ("spinach pie") and tyropita (cheese pie) and combined with olive oil and vegetables.

Chevre

Chevre is a generic term which denotes a cheese made from the milk of goats, with the word chevre meaning goat in French. Most cheeses incorporating goat's milk use chevre in their labeling so that consumers seeking goat cheeses will be able to readily identify them. Chevre can come in a wide range of forms, from soft farmer's cheeses to fully cured firm varieties. Chevre also runs the flavor gamut, with some retaining a characteristic goaty flavor while other chevres are much more mild and buttery.

One of the most common forms of chevre is a fresh cheese which resembles cream cheese. This type of chevre tends to be slightly crumbly, creamy, and may have a strong goat flavor. Often soft chevre is herbed or spiced, and may be decorated with flowers or rosemary by more high-end dairies. Creamy chevre is delicious in salads, bread, and pizzas. While most of the creamy chevres available in the United States are made from pasteurized milk because the cheese is young, unpasteurized creamy chevres tend to have more complex flavors and an almost buttery feel.

Ricotta

Ricotta is a white, moist cheese that is usually made from the whey drained off during the making of mozzarella or provolone cheeses and is, technically speaking, a cheese by-product. Italian ricotta is typically made from the whey of sheep, cow, goat, or water buffalo milk, while the American product is almost always made of cow's milk whey. While both types are low in fat and sodium, the Italian version is naturally sweet, while the American is blander, slightly salty, and moister.

The word "ricotta" is derived from the Latin "recocta," which means "cooked twice." Good ricotta cheese is firm, but not solid and is commonly used in savory Italian dishes, including pasta, calzone, pizza, manicotti, lasagna, and ravioli. Ricotta can also be beaten smooth and mixed with condiments, such as sugar, cinnamon, orange flower water and occasionally chocolate shavings, and served as a dessert, such as Sicilian cannoli.

Mascarpone

Mascarpone is a triple-creme cheese, made from a generally low-fat (25%) content fresh cream. It's made from the milk of cows that have been fed special grasses filled with fresh herbs and flowers – a special diet that creates a unique taste often described as "fresh and delicious."

Mascarpone is milky-white in color and is easily spread. It's used in various dishes of the Lombardy region of Italy, where it is a specialty. It is a main ingredient of modern tiramisu, and is sometimes used instead of butter or Parmesan cheese to thicken and enrich risotto.

Mascarpone originated in the area between Lodi and Abbiategrasso, Italy, southwest of Milan, probably in the late 16th or early 17th century. The name is said to come from mascarpa, a milk product made from the whey of stracchino (shortly-aged cheese), or from mascarpia, the word in the local dialect for ricotta (although mascarpone is not made from whey, as ricotta is).

I’ll leave you with this quote from Clifton Fadiman (American writer and editor; New Yorker book reviewer, 1904-1999)

“A cheese may disappoint. It may be dull, it may be naive, it may be over sophisticated. Yet it remains, cheese, milk’s leap toward immortality.”

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Clean, crisp, and fresh, a white kitchen is an ideal setting for the home cook, whether your taste is classic or contemporary, urbane or rustic. The use of white not only makes a kitchen look bigger and airier, it also provides a blank canvas for showcasing other elements to create an inviting and functional kitchen. Wood finishes look richer against white, colored fabrics pop, and lighting fixtures and accessories stand out against the neutral backdrop.

Carol McNeill

Carol McNeill

I have a theory, that you can learn almost anything you want to know about a person or culture by what they eat (food) how they adorn their bodies (clothing) and where and how they live (shelter).

I'm a writer, artist, designer, foodie, and urban anthropologist of sorts. To me, life is a fabulous adventure, and this blog is my attempt to observe, curate, and write about the things that I find interesting. Welcome to Planet Carol!